This year, food was no longer just about ordering and eating — it became something to build, stir, photograph, decorate, and share. Food joints turned meals into experiences, desserts doubled as conversation starters, and familiar flavours returned with new personalities. What people chose to eat said as much about their moods as their menus, blending comfort with curiosity. Here are the remnants of tastes that resonated the most with Chennaiites, leaving a lasting imprint on the city’s culinary landscape this year.
Beyond Kunafa
Kunafa entered the door a few years back, but this year, Chennai walked further in. Luqaimat, Haba cake, and Koushri, among other Middle Eastern desserts, began appearing on menus, in reels, and at tables, signalling an Arabian takeover. Rich, comforting, and unfamiliar enough to excite, these desserts satisfied the growing appetite for global flavours. Cafés experimented, home bakers followed, and suddenly, sugar came with stories. Chennaiites didn’t just taste new desserts — they welcomed new traditions.
Ramen-tic vibes
Eating out became a hands-on experience, and nowhere was that clearer than at DIY ramen stations. Instead of ordering off a menu, diners became chefs — choosing noodles, proteins, spice levels, and toppings, all in one slurp-worthy assembly line. The appeal was control and creativity: make it fiery, make it mild, make it messy, make it yours. Friends combined tastes, debated choices, and went back for seconds with new combinations. It wasn’t just about ramen anymore, but about the choices to make it your own. In a year when people wanted experiences, not just plates, DIY ramen hit the sweet spot — comfort food with a custom twist, where the fun began even before the first bite.
Too much-a?
Matcha went from niche to necessary this year. From layered crêpe cakes and crumbly biscuits to hot, iced, and flavours-based lattes, the green obsession spread across menus and feeds. What worked was its versatility, indulgent enough for dessert, subtle enough for daily caffeine rituals. People didn’t just drink matcha; they discussed it, had debates over it — ceremonial versus flavoured, sweet versus earthy, beginner-friendly or bold. Cafés leaned into the aesthetics, while customers gravitated into the calm. Matcha offered a pause, a slower sip, a softer high, and a flavour that felt both trendy and timeless.
Straight outta Japan
Japanese fried sandos made their mark with precision and crunch. Soft milk bread hugged perfectly fried cutlets, layered with just enough sauce to balance richness without overpowering. The appeal lay in contrast — crisp outside, cloud-soft inside. Portions were neat, flavours focused, and presentation minimal. People loved the simplicity, especially in a year crowded with overloaded menus. The fried sando proved that when technique is right, less really is more.
Hot chocolate, NYC Style
Thick, glossy, unapologetically rich, NYC-style hot chocolate took over winter menus and social feeds. Served like molten dessert rather than a drink, it demanded a spoon before a sip. Viral videos showed clouded cup rims, dramatic dips, and people queued for the experience as much as the taste. This wasn’t a quick cocoa; it was indulgence in a cup. Perfect for reels, perfect for cold evenings, and definitely not subtle. In a year that celebrated excess in moderation, this hot chocolate trend went all in.
The animal’s share
Desserts got adorable this year. Capybara-shaped pannacotta and teddy bear mousse cakes became the stars of dessert counters, blurring the line between food and figurine. Too cute to cut, yet too tempting not to, these animal-looking desserts thrived on visual delight. Phones were taken out before spoons, and patience was tested as photos took precedence. Beyond novelty, the trend tapped into comfort: soft textures, familiar flavours, and playful presentation. Eating dessert became a joy again, reminding people that food doesn’t always have to be serious. Sometimes, it just has to smile back at you.
BYOC
BYOC, Bring Your Own Chips, flipped the snacking script. Food trucks and small joints served dips, gravies, or toppings, while customers brought their preferred chips to scoop, dunk, and experiment. One table, five packets, endless combinations. The trend thrived on personal choices, turning a casual meal into a shared activity. Conversations flowed over debates on which chip worked best with which dip. It was low effort, high fun, and deeply social. BYOC proved that the best dining experiences don’t just start at a twenty-rupees chaat shop, they can also start from the ten rupees chips packet.
Cake as calm
Cake art therapy emerged as the most soothing food trend of the year. These sessions invited people to decorate cakes freely — no rules, no judgement, no perfection required. Frosting became stress relief, piping bags became pause buttons. Friends, couples, and solo participants showed up not to bake, but to breathe. The finished cakes were often wonky, colourful, and deeply personal. More than the result, it was the process that mattered. In 2025, cake wasn’t just dessert — it was therapy you could eat.